serial_crusher:I've been threatening to write in Ron Paul, but I might just not vote (for President) anyhow. Not too thrilled with my options.

If you're considering a write in for President, at least check out your other parties that might be on the state ballot. The Green Party (Dr. Jill Stein), the Constitution Party (Virgil Goode) and the Libertarian Party (Gary Johnson) are all on a significant number of state ballots--one or more might be on every state ballot. There could be others too--these are just the ones I know of offhand.

Cerebral Knievel:I'll be voting early as well. I'm just sick of it all.Unfortunately, voting early doesn't turn off the ongoing derp fest.

If these so called smart ads that were going to track our every move actually worked, the minute you vote all the robocalls, push polls, idiot mail flyers and crap on the news should immediately cease. Technology and Ad tracker fail.

I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

As an absentee-ballot swing-stater, I get to both fulfill my civic duty and laugh as I contribute to an election night clusterfark where things seem closer than they ought to. Tastes great, less filling.

DamnYankees:I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

I was that way too, the polling place is 4 blocks from here, getting there at 6:30 coffee in hand ready to do my duty.

I just checked Tennessee's election calender, and this article is wrong. You've been able to request absentee ballots since 8/8 here, and early voting isn't until the 17th of October. So this article about Tennessee beginning today makes no sense. There are no election-related dates in September.

Generation_D:Cerebral Knievel: I'll be voting early as well. I'm just sick of it all.Unfortunately, voting early doesn't turn off the ongoing derp fest.

If these so called smart ads that were going to track our every move actually worked, the minute you vote all the robocalls, push polls, idiot mail flyers and crap on the news should immediately cease. Technology and Ad tracker fail.

MaudlinMutantMollusk:Cerebral Knievel: I'll be voting early as well. I'm just sick of it all.Unfortunately, voting early doesn't turn off the ongoing derp fest.

Aye, there's the rub

/we have vote-by-mail in California//Ballots should be arriving in a week or so

I was wondering when my balloy would come. Thanks! Im loving the election here in california, both candidates only make token visits once or twice, and for the most part people gotta run on the issues. Unfortunately where I live the choice will be the progressive or the uber more-progressive-than-thou. Gotta love "top-two" primaries...

Chelsea Handler said it best when she started to read a note card about Romney insulting half of America. Then she tossed the card aside saying she was sick of talking about this guy... and then she moved on to something else.

DamnYankees:I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

I used to feel that way until I voted in 2004. After two hours in line, I had to go to work. I never voted in that election.

I frankly don't trust my state government with my vote. I feel like early voting just gives them more time to mess with it. The shenanigans during the recall elections have completely erased any faith I have in this state tallying votes honestly.

Most early and absentee votes are never counted. They only waste the labor to actually count them if they think it would make a difference, based on demographic statistics. In other words, they just predict your vote based on polling data and then assume how you would have voted.

DamnYankees:I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

Being an old fart, I still miss going to the polls a bit when voting by mail here in Oregon.

/ Supports vote by mail.// Ballots won't arrive for another two or three weeks.

AngryTeacher:DamnYankees: I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

I used to feel that way until I voted in 2004. After two hours in line, I had to go to work. I never voted in that election.

Lost Thought 00:Most early and absentee votes are never counted. They only waste the labor to actually count them if they think it would make a difference, based on demographic statistics. In other words, they just predict your vote based on polling data and then assume how you would have voted.

Lost Thought 00:Most early and absentee votes are never counted. They only waste the labor to actually count them if they think it would make a difference, based on demographic statistics. In other words, they just predict your vote based on polling data and then assume how you would have voted.

Incorrect. (And wow, cynical)

Mail-in and provisional ballots will get counted IF they number more than the margin of victory on election day. By the way, there is often more than one office or provision to vote for on one ballot, so it's likely all ballots will need to be counted.

DamnYankees:I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

I absolutely agree. I also used to make a big deal of taking my kid to vote with me. I think part of why I take civic participation so seriously is because my mom always made a production of taking me with her to vote.

Lost Thought 00:AngryTeacher: DamnYankees: I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

I used to feel that way until I voted in 2004. After two hours in line, I had to go to work. I never voted in that election.

Early voting is great and I strongly encourage it but I sometimes wonder about what will happen in the future when internet voting will become a reality and whether that ease of access will ultimately be a great or terrible thing for democracy.

StopLurkListen:Lost Thought 00: Most early and absentee votes are never counted. They only waste the labor to actually count them if they think it would make a difference, based on demographic statistics. In other words, they just predict your vote based on polling data and then assume how you would have voted.

Incorrect. (And wow, cynical)

Mail-in and provisional ballots will get counted IF they number more than the margin of victory on election day. By the way, there is often more than one office or provision to vote for on one ballot, so it's likely all ballots will need to be counted.

I'm pretty sure there is no single rule. Individual states control the election laws therein, so if anything, the rules for counting mail-in and absentee ballots differ by state.

DamnYankees:I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

I think I've only ever voted in person once. Just move around too much.

Lost Thought 00:Most early and absentee votes are never counted. They only waste the labor to actually count them if they think it would make a difference, based on demographic statistics. In other words, they just predict your vote based on polling data and then assume how you would have voted.

umm there's no labor to counting electronic votes. the machines do it for them.

LouDobbsAwaaaay:darkedgefan: What's the point. I live in NYC and want to vote for Romney. NYS will be blue until the end of time. I wish I could vote in OH or FL where my vote would matter.

Pretty sure moving out of New York isn't a crime.

What he means to say is that the current all or nothing electoral college system leaves a lot of voters disenfranchised because their vote literally means nothing. If you live in Illinois below I-80 your vote for president does not matter, Chicago will carry the state for the Democrats even if everyone else votes Republican.

RogermcAllen:LouDobbsAwaaaay: darkedgefan: What's the point. I live in NYC and want to vote for Romney. NYS will be blue until the end of time. I wish I could vote in OH or FL where my vote would matter.

Pretty sure moving out of New York isn't a crime.

What he means to say is that the current all or nothing electoral college system leaves a lot of voters disenfranchised because their vote literally means nothing. If you live in Illinois below I-80 your vote for president does not matter, Chicago will carry the state for the Democrats even if everyone else votes Republican.

I certainly agree. But he "wished" for something that is 100% achievable. The question is whether voting in a swing-state is worth moving to OH or FL (I would guess the answer is: no).

Bill Frist:DamnYankees: I don't like early or absentee voting. For myself, I mean. I like waking up at 5 AM on election day and getting to the polls right when they open and participating in the event. Makes me feel all civic-y.

I think I've only ever voted in person once. Just move around too much.

I'm the polar opposite. I've been in the same district (indeed, same house) since 2000, my polling place is about a mile away from home and I have been working from home on Tuesday's since at least 2004. I go at lunch, walk there, vote in 2 minutes because hardly anyone is there that time of day, and am back in time to make a sandwich. It's beautiful.

RogermcAllen:LouDobbsAwaaaay: darkedgefan: What's the point. I live in NYC and want to vote for Romney. NYS will be blue until the end of time. I wish I could vote in OH or FL where my vote would matter.

Pretty sure moving out of New York isn't a crime.

What he means to say is that the current all or nothing electoral college system leaves a lot of voters disenfranchised because their vote literally means nothing. If you live in Illinois below I-80 your vote for president does not matter, Chicago will carry the state for the Democrats even if everyone else votes Republican.

yeah it's a damn shame that those city people's votes count as much as yours isn't it? what with their multi cultural ideals and sensibilities.